blah...blah...blah... Ginger!

let there be light

Jonna — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 17:37:47 +0000

First off, I’ve got to tell you that I’m not a big trees and forest gloom kind of girl. I prefer open vistas, lots of sky and sun - lots of sun. I’m not sure why I thought buying a house with a huge banyan tree for a neighbor was a good idea but it was a lot smaller 2 years ago. It has grown and grown and recently I realized that it completely crossed our yard, adding lots of gloom and shade. See how those go together for me? I could never live up under big trees, they give me the creeps at night and the lack of light is depressing. Mimi and I once left Vancouver Island a week early because we couldn’t find anywhere to park the RV that wasn’t up under the gloomy trees.

So, I wanted the part over my yard cut back to the wall. It’s not my tree, it actually lives on the wall between two of the neighbors yards but it covers a good portion of the block. It’s really tall, the area is crowded and I didn’t want anyone getting hurt nor did I want to buy my neighbors a new roof. So, I’ve been on a search for an experienced tree guy to cut it back. I found one, through a friend of a friend, that had good references. He lives on the outskirts of the city and has no phone so I called the lady he works for on Thursdays and she had him call me on her phone. He came over and looked at the tree and said it wasn’t a problem, he’d cut it back.

Yesterday was the big day. First off, the exterminators were here in the morning so all the critters had to be taken away and I had to stand guard on the fish ponds. That went well and then Manuel and two helpers came to do the tree. He went up with just a rope and a machete and by the end of the day there is a quarter of that huge tree missing and sun has returned to my yard. It does look a bit odd with a chunk out of it, kind of like a pie chart. It will leaf out again though and I don’t really care anyway because… I have light again!

I took a bunch of pictures, the one that I didn’t remember to take was a shot of the whole tree before the cutting. Oh well, just fill in the blanks.

The first cuts with the machete

One down

farther out

a pause to clear up

moving higher

the big one starts to fall

lowering it carefully

Mimi surveys the missing chunk of tree

They chopped all the wood into fire sized pieces, loaded all the branches into our truck and Mimi drove it to their pueblo. They dropped off the firewood at Manuel’s grandmother’s house so she can make tamales and dumped the rest near his house. It was a big job and I was very happy with how careful they were and how efficient, plus they cleaned up really well. Total cost? $2500 pesos or a little less than $190US. Not cheap but a job well done.

Work begins on our yard after Carnival, the rock is coming out, more planters are being built and I hope to have a yard I can putter in with more space (and now more light) for plants.

things I notice

Jonna — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 21:49:17 +0000

Even the mannequins are checking their junk.

Liverpool Department Store

a perfect day

Jonna — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:51:14 +0000

Playa waves next to the ferry dock

looking the other direction down the beach

Wonderful day yesterday! Here’s a couple pics from the ferry dock in Playa del Carmen, you can see that the wind and waves were high. It was a wild ride over to Cozumel on the ferry. I don’t get sea sick (loud knocking on wood, never say never) but I heard some odd sounds coming from around the boat. I sat in the front row and just didn’t look back.

Elaine and Mary

Mary and Elaine met me at the dock and we had a wonderful few hours. These are heart friends, those you know will never fade whether you see them or not but it was wonderful to see them in the flesh. We walked and talked and stopped for some food. I haven’t been over to Coz for at least 5 years and the changes there are as large as the changes in Playa in that time… huge. There were 4 or 5 cruise boats in town and the non-stop “hey lady” got a little old. I’m glad to see tourists returning though, we need them and their money.

They walked me back to the ferry dock and caught a cab back to their ship. It said the next ferry was at 3pm so I sat on the dock enjoying the sun. The difference there on the leeward side of the island from the wind and waves in Playa was astounding. Suddenly the ticket guy came out of his booth and told me there was a ferry leaving, to go and get on. It was only 2:15pm but… T.I.M. (this is Mexico) and I was really happy he saw me and came and told me.

water next to ferry dock on Cozumel, quite a difference!

As I was pulling out of the parking lot in Playa, I got a call from Mimi. She had landed, Jaime and Kathy had picked her up and they had a few more stops to make in Cancun. They offered to bring her to Akumal and I headed home.

It is so wonderful to have her home. I can’t tell you. Chica was pretty pleased as well, it seemed to take her a minute to realize how long it had been since she saw her and then she got excited all over again. She pretty much glued herself to Mimi’s side for the rest of the evening.

She's home!

This morning the wind has subsided some and the sun is out and it is perfect sunning weather, cool and breezy enough to not get too hot soaking up the rays. I’m in heaven, my ginger is back, I’m sitting on my deck in the sun getting my dose of vitamin sol and life is very, very good.

gotta love it!

Is it March? why is the wind blowing?

Jonna — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 14:43:47 +0000

sunny and warm inside

Because I’m up early this morning and because it’s been a while since I posted pics from inside our condo, I took these. This is my solution to the cold, howling wind outside.

Again all night it howled and screamed and whistled, this time it was more muted because I shut the windows and doors and pulled the curtains. It’s going to be a rough ride to Cozumel on the ferry. My deck looks out at the tip of Cozumel, so all those waves are in my path.

Tropical tip: if you don’t have long pants and it is suddenly cold, put on lotion. It keeps you warmer. The opposite is really important, if it is hot and humid do not, ever, put on any lotion or you will be swimming in sweat instantly. That’s my tip of the day and I’m off to the island.

our other home

Return of the Ginger

Jonna — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 23:18:08 +0000

waves on Half Moon Bay

Chica and I drove over to Akumal last night. I brought her because she’s the one that is a problem and I thought she’d do better with some more attention. We got here about 10pm, came upstairs and crashed. The wind howled all night long, it screams and whistles and howls as it goes between the buildings. Eerie.

This morning the waves were big and wind whipped and it was only warm off the beach behind protection. So, I canceled my plan to try and get some sun this morning, I need my tan for my mental health but these cold fronts have left me pale and bereft.

I’m off to Cozumel tomorrow to meet up with some good friends who are on a cruise. I’m meeting them at 11am and thought it would work perfectly if Mimi arrived in Cancun at 6:30. Well, she didn’t get that flight so she’s arriving at 2:30 and I’ll be on the island. Our friend Kathy is going to pick her up and I’ll pick her up from their house in Paamul.

Did you notice though? The Meemster is actually returning!!! It’s been 2.5 months that she’s been up in the US. I think this is the longest we’ve been apart in 18 or so years. I’m very happy she is coming back, I need my ginger back at home.

Macho Man

Jonna — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 23:47:50 +0000

Here he comes...

There’s an old man who begs on a corner I pass many times a week. He’s bent and stooped and has a cane and an old plastic chair that he sits in when the light is green. When it is red, he walks along the stopped cars, slowly and off balance and asks for money.

I usually give him 5 pesos every week or so, and just wave him off in between. The other day, I gave him the 5 pesos and he looks up at me kind of sideways because his back is so crooked. I expected a polite gracias but what I got was a leering

Gracias, ¡MAMACITA!

I was so shocked that I answered in English, No! You didn’t just say that! Then, the light turned green and I drove off. Now, I’m not sure whether to give him another 5p someday or not. Maybe I should give him 10p?

the ladies man

Cutting grapes

Jonna — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 21:00:35 +0000

Tita says: no sand tacos and no grape or nail cutting either. KTHXBAI

Learning a language is not a straight forward thing, at least for me. It goes in loops and whorls and there are good Spanish days and bad Spanish days and days when my brain seems to have forgotten even the most basic words that I’ve known for years. Sometimes, my brain just substitutes another sort of similar word and goes on. Lazy brain. Sometimes it’s funny, other times it is just run of the mill embarrassing. Here are a couple that happened recently.

I’m at the mall, getting some tacos, and the server asks me if I want corn or flour tortillas. I quickly ask for SAND tortillas. WTF? He’d just said the word for flour (harina), I’ve probably known that word for more than 20 years, but my brain substituted sand (arena) and thought it was good to go. He looked at me, thought, obviously got the error and gave me flour. I just slunk away.

I had all 3 dogs in the truck because I’d taken them out to run at the RV park. I was driving back past the vet and decided to stop in and see if they would trim their nails. This is something Mimi usually does but the vet does it for free. I run in to see if they have time and ask the receptionist if I can bring my 3 dogs in to have their GRAPES (uvas) cut.

She gives me an odd look and tells me that is surgery and I have to have an appointment. I still don’t realize what I’ve said so I look puzzled and say I thought I could just drop in. She’s in the process of telling me that it is a serious surgery when I realize I must have done it again. I start replaying what I’ve said and realize the problem. Except, now the old brain won’t come up with the word for nails (uñas). I fall back on making cutting motions on my hands and now she is really confused. Finally, the word slithers into my brain and I hold my hand up and ask if we can start again. We both laughed but mine was a little fake.

¡Viva 2010!

Jonna — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 01:12:15 +0000

Canna

I’m ready for a new year. This one started out pretty good but it’s ending on a whine. Shall I list my whines? or whinges as the Brits call it. Well, I might not have that usage right, this English is a tough language. They say whinging when we say whining, it rhymes with hinge… sort of. But, do they also use it as a noun? as above? I’ll wait for the comment to find out.

Anyway, whether they are whines or whinges, I’m a bit bitchy about this last couple months.

I’m sick of the vet, no one is sick now but although I love Dr Tony and Dr Nelson I’d rather run into them at parties than at work. Barney had to go back there this week, I know, what a glutton for punishment he is. Apparently he got in a fight and had an abcess and his leg swelled up and he couldn’t walk and shazam he was back in his least favorite bunk at the vets. He’s home now and I think they are going to curtail his freedom. I maintain that he is suffering from that syndrome that men get where they go out at 60 and buy a red sports car and try and pick up babes but probably just don’t admit they are actually paying for it. I’m thinking he’s out there in Chelem swaggering down the beach saying in perfect lol cat that he can kick any of these whippersnappers butts and to watch out. Except… he’s paying for it.

I miss Mimi. It’s not so good to whine about how hard it is here when she is working as hard (shhh… maybe harder) up there. I do it though. Here’s hoping she gets it all done and comes home soon.

I don’t like acknowledging the rather tore up and wore out state of my health and body. These pills are making me sleepy all the time. I worry that they are not good for me. Really, what the hell does that mean? I don’t like taking pills unless they are vitamins and I’m scared to google this batch and freak like I did before and stop taking everything. So, I take them and I record the BP twice a day (it’s low normal now) and I sleep 10 hours a night and then take a 2 hour nap in the afternoon. Can I just say that I’d like my 20 yo body back, immediately.

My pond got demolished yesterday. Two pumps broke this last week, I thought I got one fixed while I looked for parts for the other one. The ‘fixed’ one exploded in the pond and dumped a liter or two of oil. Not pretty. My friend Sheila was here and helped me all afternoon as we sopped and overflowed the pond and cut off all the plants and swept the oily water away from the edge. Bloody Hell! I got a strong back in today (since mine was killing me from yesterday) to empty all the rocks out of the filter - oil covered now - and he cleaned it up. I’m contemplating how I want to change the way it’s put together. Meanwhile, all the fish lived so far which is amazing and we’ll see if the plants are ok. It looks horrible. Whinge.

So, looking gaily forward :) I’m off tonight with good friends to Rosas y Xocolate a new hotel and restaurant on the Paseo Montejo that is excellent. We also had Christmas dinner there. We will have dinner and champagne and laugh and greet this new year and new decade. I won’t carry any of these whinges into 2010, that’s my resolution.

I wish all of you the very best New Year and a fantastic 2010! You’ve given me a lot of love and laughs in this past year and I appreciate every one of you.

hung out to dry

Jonna — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 07:29:40 +0000

I know, I was missing in action again. I was really in action though, I’ve had a lot on my plate this last week or so. So, here’s an update.

Raui is fine, it’s like nothing ever happened. She is full of energy, always hungry, always on the move and as loud as she ever was.

The Dodwell’s have been in Canada for the last 3 weeks and I had their 2 dogs and Barney the cat here. That’s most of what has kept me busy, shoveling food in one end and picking up what comes out the other for 5 dogs and 3 cats.

Barney at the vet

Then, last Sunday when I called Barney for breakfast he came but he just stood over his plate with sheets of drool coming out and wouldn’t eat. Other than drooling like Niagra, he seemed fine and he seemed like he was very hungry. I finally got him to eat some warm chicken and broth and decided not to call Dr Tony on his off time yet again. Monday morning it was back to the vet.

It was a scary week, Barney’s mouth and throat were full of sores and no one knows why. Whatever started it, it is a syndrome and one thing contributes to the other so it is hard to tell where it began. He’s not much of a plant eater but any plant he might have chewed on he would have chewed on sometime in the last year to no effect. There aren’t any caustic chemicals out and about, there are some in the bodega but I’ve never seen him in there and nothing was open. He could have tried to eat a centipede and gotten stung in his mouth. He could have eaten a poisonous frog. Something else could have stung him and caused a reaction.

So, he spent 5 days in the vet on IV fluids, prednisone, antibiotics, and pain meds. He got better but it was not a sure thing that he would. I was afraid for him and miserable that he got this while in my care. Did I mention that Barney was born in England, lived in Canada for 7 years and now in Mexico for 1 year? He’s about 17 years old. Just knocking him out to check his mouth was dangerous but I had a long talk with him before they put him out and told him he had to just keep breathin’ and beatin’ and his mom would be back soon. He listened to me.

So, I was visiting Barney every day, cleaning up poop, dishing out food, plus I managed to go to a couple of parties and see some friends and get the brakes on the jeep done. I brought Barney home on Saturday, he is eating and looks great. He’s still on the meds and he still drools a little but after I gave him a bit of a spit bath he was ready to greet Paula when she arrived Sunday night.

Barney waiting for Paula

In fact, he looked like nothing had happened. Which is how Raui looks now too. I’m starting to worry that my friends will think I have that Munchausen by Proxy thing.

That link just cost me an hour as I fell down the wiki hole. Did you know there is a syndrome called Munchausen by Internet? Of all the things that the internet is and has brought the greatest daily impact has to be that spiral of clicks that leads you ever farther from your original question and into stranger and stranger lands.

This whole post is starting to sound neurotic even to me, but wait… there’s more. A few days ago my ears started ringing really loud. It’s quite irritating, it sounds like thousands of eunuch crickets bemoaning their fate inside your head. It is worse when it is quiet so going to sleep was difficult and driving in the car I would keep the windows down so the traffic noise distracted me from it. Then I got a couple of nosebleeds and then… I googled!

That brought me to a mad hunt for my blood pressure machine and then an even madder hunt for 2 AAA batteries that still worked. Of course I was all freaked out by then and yes, my blood pressure was high. It was in the not good range on the little card that came with the blood pressure gadget. So, I worried and I took it again and again and it got worse. I somehow survived the night and went to the cardiologist today. I took my little machine that remembers all the test scores and showed my erratic gazillion blood pressure tests to the doctor. He had me take it again with my machine right there. It was a little better. I have to admit that I got to the appointment early and I happily waited over an hour because sitting there in Star Medica hospital was the safest I’d felt since google.

I love this doctor, for a lot of reasons but today the main one was that he is CALM. He gave me an EKG and my heart is fine. Then he took my BP with his machine and it was normal. He said I do have high blood pressure, he doesn’t think my machine is wonky which was my first and happiest guess. He gave me pills to take for 2 weeks to see what happens, gave me homework to take my BP and write it down with the time twice a day, and best of all he gave me pills for the ringing in my ears. I really, really hope those pills work. Oh, and he gave me pills for stress and anxiety too. I guess he’s been reading my blog.

So, although earlier I had mentally progressed to being an angelic witness to the wailing grief of my friends and family, I ended up still having to run all the errands on my to do list for the day. I find I am looking forward to the happy pill prescription.

me, just chillin'

Dia de la Virgen de Guadalupe

Jonna — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 07:06:33 +0000

statue of the Virgencita arrives on a truck

It is a joyful time to be in México, that is true all over the country. This last week of celebrations for the Virgen de Guadalupe culminated yesterday. The joy and the love that surrounds every manifestation of her seems to permeate the air. Here in Yucatan, the season is accompanied by the return of the best weather in the world. Our days are in the 90’sF and the nights in the 70’sF.

Theresa and I went to the church dedicated to her, San Cristóbal, on Friday. This is the 2nd year I’ve gone and I think it will be something I try and do every year. I love the chants and the smiles and the laughter and the devotion, the air is electric.

The picture at the left is a statue of the Virgen being taken out of the back of a truck to be carried into the church. Statues of her came from near and far, large like this one and small and carried on the backs of runners and bicyclists. They run and bike from all over the peninsula, they carry torches and wear team shirts with the name of their town.

They sing, they chant her name, they have cheers like for a sports team - give me an M, give me an A… Many of the women dress in the traditional huipil and there are babies in the blue mantle of Guadalupe and boys dressed as Juan Diego.

In the plaza of the church various groups sell food and desserts. There were some marvelous choices, we wandered around and looked at everything before deciding. Theresa had pozole and it was an enormous bowl with all the traditional accompaniments. I had sopes and a tamal from one group of nuns and then another tamal from another group. Then we both had pots of crema de coco with cinammon. It was delicious.

We had gotten there before it was really crowded so we got a table near the side entrance to the church. We could watch the steady stream of people entering the church and hear the singing from the mass. As it got more crowded, we walked out in front and watched the groups arriving with torches and bands and boy scouts holding ropes to keep them together.
I especially enjoyed the priest at the front door of the church. His smile was infectious and he was wearing a beautiful hand painted robe. He blessed everyone who entered, blessed the pictures and statues carried in and he seemed so joyous and happy. I tried several times to get a picture of his smile but I somehow missed it.

Here is a small slideshow of pictures, the link to the album is here.